女子16年來只喝可樂 致心臟不適

一名31歲的摩洛哥女子因心臟不適及昏厥入院，醫生檢查後發現其體內鉀含量嚴重偏低，而且患有可能導致心律不齊的QT間期延長綜合徵。該女子表示，她自15歲起就沒有喝過水，每天只喝大約兩升可樂。而在其停止喝可樂一週以後，她體內的鉀含量和心電活動都恢復了正常。研究人員表示，喝太多可樂會使將過多水分引致腸道，從而引發腹瀉並導致鉀流失；同時，可樂中的咖啡因也會促進尿液排出，降低了鉀的再吸收率。體內鉀含量過低會導致心律問題。研究人員同時還發現了另外6個因過量飲用可樂而導致健康問題的案例，過量飲用可樂也會導致體重增加，從而引發心臟問題。

A 31-year old woman's heart problems and fainting might have had something to do with the fact that she drank only soda for about half her life, according to a report of her case.

The woman, who lives in Monaco, a small country near southern France, was brought to a hospital after she fainted. A blood test showed she had severely low potassium levels. And a test of her heart's electrical activity revealed she had a condition called long QT syndrome, which can cause erratic heart beats.

The woman did not have a family history of heart or hormone problems. But she told her doctors that, since the age of 15, she had not drunk any water — soda (specifically cola) was the only liquid she consumed. She drank about 2 liters (2 quarts) of cola daily, she said.

After abstaining from soda for just one week, the woman's potassium levels and heart electrical activity returned to normal.

Drinking too much cola may cause excess water to enter the bowels, which in turn leads to diarrhea, and loss of potassium, the researchers said. High amounts of caffeine can also increase urine production and decrease potassium reabsorption, the researchers said. Potassium plays a role in helping a person's heartbeat, and low levels of potassium may cause heart rhythm problems.

After searching for other similar cases, the researchers found six reports of excessive cola consumption that were thought to be related to adverse medical problems, including heart rhythm problems.

"One of the take-home messages is that cardiologists need to be aware of the connection between cola consumption and potassium loss, and should ask patients found to have QT prolongation about beverage habits," said study researcher Dr. Naima Zarqane, of Princess Grace Hospital Centre in Monaco.

Future studies should examine whether those who drink cola excessively have lower potassium levels than people who don't drink cola, the researchers said.

Excessive soda consumption can also lead to weight gain, which is a risk factor for heart disease, the researchers said.

The case report was presented this week at the European Heart Rhythm Association meeting in Athens, Greece. It has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.